Instant Vortex Plus XL 8QT Air Fryer

I started doing some air frying when I got my Instant-pot 8-in-1 that has an extra air fryer lid. That gave some reasonable results but was sometimes awkward to use (hard to remove the top liner for turning food in the bottom section, etc.) as well as quite small – but it got me started on the air-frying way of cooking.

Enter the Ninja – two large baskets make it easy to air-fry a larger amount of food, with 2 independent time and temperature controls. The air circulation in this device is excellent, and I found I can easily cook many items WITHOUT having to turn them (good for chicken quarters etc., but especially handy for smaller and finicky stuff like coconut shrimp).

I’ve used the sync function once (for timing items with different cooking times), but didn’t like that I could not add an extra minute when I found one side was still not quite as crisp as I wanted – so now I just do everything on the manual settings and do my own guestimates for when to start the second side. That’s not exactly difficult to do since the fryer comes up to temp very quickly (i.e. very little lead time needed).

The rubber ‘spacers’ on the inserts are not quite as well designed as they could be IMO (often coming partly undone), but that’s a minor gripe on an otherwise excellent air fryer.

I was a bit hesitant to purchase this because of the price. But it works great and really does make the food taste better not to mention cut the cooking time. I got it for the rotisserie option and I was not disappointed. It makes my chicken taste like swiss chalet 🙂 I would definitely buy it again.

Fits perfectly under my cupboards, performance is great! Appearance is pleasant and not bulky. Smell not noticeable, cook times are much faster so I usually shave fifteen to twenty minutes off of most cook times. Pull away from anything and around sides and nothing on top while cooking, it gets hot!! Controls are easy to use! Excellent value! Ease of cleaning not so great but I suggest maintaining its cleanliness because it has spots awkward to get it to. Overall big time saver!!!!! Worth every penny!!!

Works great.
Easy to use.
Love the 2 drawers!!!

Update; after 6 months of use, I like it even more. I use it as a toaster oven and it works great. It is noisy but I usually have no other people to annoy when I use it so I don’t care. My dog gets pretty excited whenever I start it up because she usually gets a bite of whatever I’m cooking or toasting. I have found that the pet “cheese tax” also must be paid on many other foods. But seriously, this is a great unit. Easy to clean, not ugly, toasts/bakes/air frys very well.
Original review: I bought this after first getting a competing mfg’s multi-purpose grill-air fryer-dehydrator-griddle. That unit was too heavy, you could not clean the inner lid area well or easily, and it was not great as an air fryer. As a grill, the food would slide off the angled grill surface. After reading reviews I decided to get single function devices instead of the “jack of all trades, master of none” unit. I returned the other unit, but Amazon will not let me review it now, saying “unusual review activity” means only confirmed purchasers can review it. I think that is cover for a number of bad reviews it may be getting.
It was a smart move. This InstantPot Vortex XL 8-quart air fryer has two smaller 4-Qt baskets that let me cook two different foods that finish cooking at the same time. The windows and light in each basket let me see how brown foods are without opening the baskets. Great function. The baskets and bottom grate platform are nonstick coated metal and should hold up well. No missing or broken parts.
The unit has a surprisingly small footprint for being a dual basket model. After reading many air fryer reviews I came to the conclusion that I’d either need two machines, or a dual basket model even though both baskets would be smaller.
I paid extra for a model with minimal “metal look” external decoration because in my experience, it is just more to keep clean and adds to the busy look of my kitchen. I plan on keeping it out because I’ve used it almost every day since Ive had it.
When the unit is unplugged, it is nearly all black and non-distinct and that’s a plus because I replaced the rarely used toaster oven with this machine and am trying to minimize counter clutter.
I do recommending using a microfiber cloth for wiping the large expanse of smooth plastic that shows the touch controls when in use, because I used a paper towel and then a cotton dishtowel to wipe it and I can see some light swirly scratches on the surface.
The only working surface that is not easy to clean is the part with the heating coil over each basket. They recommend wiping it as needed if food or grease ever stick, so I will. I assume most residue would burn off as the coils heat to high temps while in use.
I did follow the instructions to run both sides once before actually cooking anything. There was a slight odor but it went away quickly.
I’ve cooked fish sticks and reheated fried fish fillets from restaurant leftovers and there was some “cooking fish” smell for both at the start but 1. I cooking fish! And 2. It went away pretty quickly. I did not want the model that required replacement filters regularly and I’m happy with my choice.
I never had an air fryer with pre-set values so I dont miss that feature. Also, having to let the unit cool down before restarting a new program should not be an issue because 1. I already have two baskets to use at once if needed and 2. When a program is done and I remove a basket to get the food out, that cooking “bay” seems to cool quickly and then shut off completely with the basket out.
I can recommend this air fryer without hesitation!